I'm fairly new to these forums so perhaps someone could explain the rules to me - are there rules against flaming here? Both the Madoff and the wife and mother comment should be considered way over the line in my opinion.
Dr. H doesn't seem particularly well informed about the complexity of gifted+Asperger's concerns. It isn't as simply as just get Asperger's diagnosed and boom you are done. We started with an evaluation from a perfectly competent psychologist who didn't know anything about giftedness and we learned very little that was actually helpful to us. The autistic spectrum is huge and simply saying "aha that kid is on it" doesn't really help a whole lot. Especially HG and PG kids can look very much like they have Asperger's when they don't and misdiagnosis is something that happens quite a bit. Obviously, you can't really help a kid if you don't define the special need accurately in the first place.
And, even if a parent gets an accurate diagnosis of Asperger's knowing how to approach that in a gifted child may be different because there may be a question of how to fit special services in with needed academic acceleration. Social and emotional considerations may also be different when the child is both gifted and has Asperger's. Understanding the child's intellectual strengths may help in creating an effective plan to address some of their challenges.
I don't think every parent who wants to get their child evaluated for giftedness needs to hire a national expert like Dr. Webb or Dr. Amend. However, if you've exhausted local options and you are dealing with a child who is likely not just gifted but disabled, I believe it makes sense to consult with someone who has actually treated a sizable number of kids with similar challenges. Just like if your child needed heart surgery. If no one in your area was very familiar with the particulars of their condition you'd hopefully seek help from someone more experienced. People who have actually parented a 2e child know that really understanding their child's challenges and having a plan to address them is every bit as important.
As far as Dr. Amend being well regarded, that is simply a fact. He is nationally known as an expert in gifted children and in 2e children especially gifted kids with Asperger's. He's written well received books and is involved in top gifted organizations like SENG and the Davidson Institute. He was recommended to the poster for a reason. I am glad to hear she's getting a consultation and I hope she finds it helpful in sorting out what her child needs. I've been in her shoes and it is not an easy place to be. Getting further evaluations made all the difference for our child.
